Editing Pressure point

{{Short description|Points on body used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine}}
{{other uses}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{original research|date=February 2009}}
{{cleanup AfD|date=January 2017}}
}}
{{Chinese
|title     = Pressure point (穴位)
|pic       = Chinese meridians.JPG
|picsize   = 240px
|c         = 穴位
|p         = xuéwèi
|w=hsüeh-wei
|bpmf=ㄒㄩㄝˊ ㄨㄟˋ
|j=jyut<sup>6</sup> wai<sup>6*2</sup>
|poj=hia̍t-uī
|h=hied<sup>5</sup> vi<sup>55</sup>
|wuu=yiuih<sup>入</sup> we<sup>去</sup>
|kanji=急所
|romaji=kyūsho
|kana=きゅうしょ 
}}
{{Alternative medicine sidebar |traditional}}
'''Pressure points'''{{efn|group=footnote|
* {{zh|s=[[wiktionary:穴位|穴位]]|p=xuéwèi}}
* {{langx|ja|[[wiktionary:急所|急所]]|kyūsho|tender spot}}<ref>Andrew Nathaniel Nelson, ''The Original Modern Reader's Japanese-English Character Dictionary'', Tuttle Publishing, 2004, p.399. [https://books.google.com/books?id=gtYHbyI9xPEC&pg=PA399]</ref>
* {{langx|si|නිල/මර්ම ස්ථාන|Nila/Marma Sthana}} (in [[Angampora]])
* {{langx|te|మర్మ స్థానం|Marma Sthanam}}
* {{langx|ml|മര്‍മ്മം|[[Varma ati|marmam]]}}
* {{langx|ta|வர்மம்|[[Varma ati|varmam]]}}
}} derive from the supposed [[Meridian (Chinese medicine)|meridian]] points in [[Traditional Chinese Medicine]], Indian [[Ayurveda]] and [[Siddha medicine]], and [[martial arts]]. They refer to areas on the human body that may produce significant [[pain]] or other effects when manipulated in a specific manner.<ref name="Zarrilli">{{Cite web |url=http://spa.exeter.ac.uk/drama/staff/kalari/healharm.html |title=To Heal and/or To Harm: The Vital Spots (''Marmmam''/''Varmam'') in Two South Indian Martial Traditions |work=Kalarippayattu |access-date=2016-03-01 |publisher=Department of Drama at the University of Exeter |last1=Zarrilli |first1=Phillip B. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160209235036/http://spa.exeter.ac.uk/drama/staff/kalari/healharm.html |archive-date=9 Feb 2016 |language=en |url-status=live}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:USMC-100912-M-5332N-146.jpg|thumb|Muscular gouging techniques demonstration by a [[Marine Corps Martial Arts]] instructor]]
The earliest known concept of pressure points can be seen in the [[South India]]n [[Varma kalai]] based on Siddha.<ref>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.varmam.org/articles/HistoryOfVarmaKalai.php
| title = Thirumoolar Varmalogy Institute - Articles - History of Varmakalai
| last = Institute
| first = Suresh K Manoharan, Thirumoolar Varmalogy
| website = www.varmam.org
| access-date = 2016-03-01
}}</ref><ref name="Zarrilli" /> The concept of pressure points is also present in the [[koryu|old school]] Japanese martial arts; in a 1942 article in the ''Shin Budo magazine'', [[Takuma Hisa]] asserted the existence of a tradition attributing the first development of pressure-point attacks to [[Shinra Saburō Minamoto no Yoshimitsu]] (1045&ndash;1127).<ref name="Aiki News-Hisa">It is also called Internal point.
Takuma Hisa Sensei, Shin Budo magazine, November 1942. republished as {{cite journal
 |last        = Hisa
 |first       = Takuma
 |title       = Daito-Ryu Aiki Budo
 |journal     = Aiki News
 |volume      = 85
 |date        = Summer 1990
 |url         = http://www.aikidojournal.com/article.php?articleID=497
 |access-date  = 2007-07-18
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20071011104105/http://www.aikidojournal.com/article.php?articleID=497
 |archive-date = 2007-10-11
}} "Yoshimitsu [...] dissected corpses brought back from wars in order to explore human anatomy and mastered a decisive counter-technique as well as discovering lethal atemi. Yoshimitsu then mastered a technique for killing with a single blow. Through such great efforts, he mastered the essence of aiki and discovered the secret techniques of Aiki Budo. Therefore, Yoshimitsu is the person who is credited with being the founder of the original school of Daito-ryu."</ref>

[[H. Irving Hancock|Hancock]] and Higashi (1905) published a book which pointed out a number of vital points in Japanese martial arts.<ref>{{cite book |author1=[[H. Irving Hancock]] |author2=Katsukuma Higashi |title=[[The Complete Kano Jiu-Jitsu (Judo)]] |publisher=[[G. P. Putnam's Sons]] |year=1905 |isbn=978-0-486-20639-4 |oclc=650089326}}</ref>

Accounts of pressure-point fighting appeared in Chinese [[Wuxia]] fiction novels and became known by the name of [[Dim Mak]], or "Death Touch", in western popular culture in the 1960s.

While it is undisputed that there are sensitive points on the human body where even comparatively weak pressure may induce significant pain or serious injury, the association of ''kyūsho'' with notions of [[death]] have been harshly criticized.<ref name="Mann F.">[[Felix Mann]]: "...acupuncture points are no more real than the black spots that a drunkard sees in front of his eyes." (Mann F. Reinventing Acupuncture: A New Concept of Ancient Medicine. Butterworth Heinemann, London, 1996,14.), quoted by Matthew Bauer in ''[http://www.chinesemedicinetimes.com/section.php?xSec=122 Chinese Medicine Times] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122104312/http://www.chinesemedicinetimes.com/section.php?xSec=122 |date=2009-01-22 }}'', vol 1 issue 4, Aug. 2006, "The Final Days of Traditional Beliefs? - Part One"</ref>{{Failed verification|date=June 2019}}

==See also==
* [[Chakra]]
* [[Dantian]]
* [[Nociception]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{notelist}}
{{martial arts}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pressure Point}}
[[Category:Martial arts techniques]]
[[Category:Martial arts terminology]]
[[Category:Concepts in alternative medicine]]